Method and apparatus for video synthesis

ABSTRACT

An approach is provided for generating a compilation of media items. A plurality of media items is received. Respective context vectors for the media items are determined. The context vectors include, at least in part, orientation information, tilt information, altitude information, geo-location information, timing information, or a combination thereof associated with the creation of the respective media items. A compilation of at least a portion of the media items is generated based, at least in part, on the context vectors.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of prior application Ser. No. 12/877,353, filed Sep. 8, 2010, titled “Method and Apparatus for Video Synthesis” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Service providers and device manufacturers (e.g., wireless, cellular, etc.) are continually challenged to deliver value and convenience to consumers by, for example, providing compelling network services. Important differentiators in the industry are application and network services that offer entertainment (e.g., media) and location services. In particular, media sharing services allow for distribution of content to other users of the media sharing service. Traditionally, the content distributed on such media sharing services is uploaded by one or more users. Interesting transformations of the content can be utilized to improve user experience. However, such transformations are generally limited due to technical challenges and limitations that exist for enabling the transformations. For example, only basic transformations may be accomplished utilizing basic media.

SOME EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Therefore, there is a need for an approach for generating a compilation of media items.

According to one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a plurality of media items. The method also comprises determining respective context vectors for the plurality of media items. The context vectors include, at least in part, orientation information, tilt information, altitude information, geo-location information, timing information, or a combination thereof associated with the creation of respective media items. The method further comprises determining to generate a compilation of at least a portion of the media items based, at least in part, on the context vectors.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause, at least in part, the apparatus to receive a plurality of media items. The apparatus is also caused to determine respective context vectors for the plurality of media items. The context vectors include, at least in part, orientation information, geo-location information, tilt information, altitude information, timing information, or a combination thereof associated with the creation of respective media items. The apparatus is further caused to determine to generate a compilation of at least a portion of the media items based, at least in part, on the context vectors.

According to another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carries one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause, at least in part, an apparatus to receive a plurality of media items. The apparatus is also caused to determine respective context vectors for the plurality of media items. The context vectors include, at least in part, orientation information, tilt information, altitude information, geo-location information, timing information, or a combination thereof associated with the creation of respective media items. The apparatus is further caused to determine to generate a compilation of at least a portion of the media items based, at least in part, on the context vectors.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises means for receiving a plurality of media items. The apparatus also comprises means for determining respective context vectors for the plurality of media items. The context vectors include, at least in part, orientation information, geo-location information, tilt information, altitude information, timing information, or a combination thereof associated with the creation of respective media items. The apparatus further comprises means for determining to generate a compilation of at least a portion of the media items based, at least in part, on the context vectors.

In addition, for various example embodiments of the invention, the following is applicable: a method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on (including derived at least in part from) any one or any combination of methods (or processes) disclosed in this application as relevant to any embodiment of the invention.

For various example embodiments of the invention, the following is also applicable: a method comprising facilitating access to at least one interface configured to allow access to at least one service, the at least one service configured to perform any one or any combination of network or service provider methods (or processes) disclosed in this application.

For various example embodiments of the invention, the following is also applicable: a method comprising facilitating creating and/or facilitating modifying (1) at least one device user interface element and/or (2) at least one device user interface functionality, the (1) at least one device user interface element and/or (2) at least one device user interface functionality based, at least in part, on data and/or information resulting from one or any combination of methods or processes disclosed in this application as relevant to any embodiment of the invention, and/or at least one signal resulting from one or any combination of methods (or processes) disclosed in this application as relevant to any embodiment of the invention.

For various example embodiments of the invention, the following is also applicable: a method comprising creating and/or modifying (1) at least one device user interface element and/or (2) at least one device user interface functionality, the (1) at least one device user interface element and/or (2) at least one device user interface functionality based at least in part on data and/or information resulting from one or any combination of methods (or processes) disclosed in this application as relevant to any embodiment of the invention, and/or at least one signal resulting from one or any combination of methods (or processes) disclosed in this application as relevant to any embodiment of the invention.

In various example embodiments, the methods (or processes) can be accomplished on the service provider side or on the mobile device side or in any shared way between service provider and mobile device with actions being performed on both sides.

For various example embodiments, the following is applicable: An apparatus comprising means for performing the method of any of originally filed claims 1-10, 21-36, and 58-60.

Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. The invention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details can be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system capable of generating a compilation of media items based on context vectors associated with the media items, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the components of user equipment that can be utilized in generating media items, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process for generating a compilation of media items, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of utilizing a media platform to generate a compilation of media items, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of views of media items collected by user equipment utilized to generate a compilation, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of signaling between user equipment and a media platform for generating a compilation, according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 7A-7H are diagrams displaying example processes utilized to generate context vector information and descriptive concepts, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram utilized in generating a compilation of media items, according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 9A-9E are diagrams of user interfaces utilized in the processes of FIGS. 4 and 8, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a diagram of hardware that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a chip set that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a mobile terminal (e.g., handset) that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

Examples of a method, apparatus, and computer program for generating a compilation of media items are disclosed. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system capable of generating a compilation of media items based on context vectors associated with the media items, according to one embodiment. In a mobile world, an increasing number of services and applications are targeted at providing social services and distributing media captured by individual users. As such, advances in mobile multimedia technology have given rise to increase in user generated content. These users can share the content with others using one or more platforms (e.g., via the Internet). Increases in accessibility of the internet and bandwidth available to wireless and wired users, consumers can easily be distributed such media.

Individual users commonly record media (e.g., video, audio, images, etc.) at events that the users find interesting. Examples of events include concerts, dance festivals, carnivals, etc. Moreover, events can have one or more focus points and can be attended by more than one person. Many events are recorded by more than one user using a personal recording device (e.g., a mobile phone, a camcorder, a digital camera, etc.). Users may wish to view media associated with the events. These users may wish to view the media using different views corresponding to uploaded media of the events.

A more advantageous way to view such content would be to automatically enhance or customize media to generate a synthesized or machine-generated compilation of media items. As used herein, the term media item refers to media that can be created or generated. Media items can be uploaded (e.g., via a stream or file transfer) to a platform for generating the compilation. However, many technical challenges are present in generating such a synthesized compilation. One such challenge is to determine what view is covered by each media item associated with an event. Another technical challenge includes determining what content to include in a synthesized compilation. For example, one or more media items may include similar or the same content at the same time. Which one of the media items should be included in the media compilation? Further, more than one interesting activity or event (e.g., sub-event) can occur near a particular location. It can be challenging to determine which sub-event to focus upon when generating the compilation. In certain embodiments, a synthesized compilation is a compilation that is generated automatically or otherwise without need for manual instructions.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system capable of generating a compilation of media items based on context vectors associated with the media items, according to one embodiment. Information collected from mobile devices (e.g., user equipment (UE) 101 a-101 c) can be utilized to capture the media items. In one embodiment, the UEs 101 a-101 c capture media items (e.g., photos, video clips, audio clips, etc.) and transmit the media items and related information (e.g., context vectors) to a media platform 103 via a communication network 105. The media items can be captured, for instance, to explicitly transmit information about an event or may be captured for other purposes (e.g., sightseeing, general interest, etc.) but then co-opted for use in the approach described herein. The media may be analyzed to determine information about the existence of an event which can be transmitted to the UEs 101 a-101 c. Further, media items can be combined to generate the compilation based on one or more criteria and a plurality of media items. The compilation can thus be a customized director's cut combining various media items for a user.

The UE 101 is any type of mobile terminal, fixed terminal, or portable terminal including a mobile handset, station, unit, device, multimedia computer, multimedia tablet, Internet node, communicator, desktop computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, netbook computer, tablet computer, personal communication system (PCS) device, personal navigation device, personal digital assistants (PDAs), audio/video player, digital camera/camcorder, positioning device, television receiver, radio broadcast receiver, electronic book device, game device, or any combination thereof, including the accessories and peripherals of these devices, or any combination thereof. It is also contemplated that the UE 101 can support any type of interface to the user (such as “wearable” circuitry, etc.). The UE 101 may include a sensor module 107 a-107 c to determine context vectors (e.g., location information, timing information, etc.) of the UE 101. The sensor module 107 may be utilized by one or more applications 109 (e.g., media applications 109 a-n, event applications, etc.). The system 100 has been simplified for to include three UEs 101 a-101 c to capture the event, however, it is contemplated that any multiple number of UEs 101 (e.g., more than two UEs 101) can be utilized in capturing information about the event.

The UEs 101 a-101 c may utilize respective media applications 109 to capture media of an event 111 as well as the location, via a location sensor of the sensor module 107, and other information (e.g., compass information, accelerometer tilt information, etc.) about the UE 101 during the event. In certain embodiments, the event may include a static event (e.g., a normal occurrence such as media capture around a monument), a sudden incident (e.g., a spontaneous occurrence such as an accident or an impromptu folk festival that users determine is a good reason to capture media), a special event (e.g., an occurrence that is indicated to be more important by the media platform 103 based on certain criteria), a combination thereof, or the like.

When the media is captured, a context vector can be determined and associated with the media. In certain embodiments, a context vector is one or more data items that can be associated with the media. As such, a context vector can include time information, a position (Pi) of the UE 101, an altitude (Ai) of the UE 101, a tilt (Ti) of the UE 101, an orientation (Oi) of the UE 101, a zoom level (Zi) of the UE 101, a focal length (Fi) of the UE 101, a field of view (FOVi) of the UE 101, a radius of interest (RadiusOli) of the UE 101 while capturing the media content, a range of interest (RangeOli) of the UE 101 while capturing the media content, or a combination thereof. The position can be detected from one or more sensors of the UE 101 (e.g., via a Global Positioning System (GPS)). Further, the altitude can be detected from one or more sensors such as an altimeter and/or GPS. The tilt of the UE 101 can be based on a reference point (e.g., a camera sensor location) with respect to the ground based on accelerometer information. Moreover, the orientation can be based on compass (e.g., magnetometer) information and may be based on a reference to north. One or more zoom levels, a focal length, and a field of view can be determined according to a camera sensor. Further, the radius of interest and/or range of interest can be determined based on one or more of the other parameters or another sensor (e.g., a range detection sensor).

In certain embodiments, capture of a media item can include corresponding context vector information. For example one or more frames of a video can have associated with it an audio component as well as a context vector. Thus the context vector can be associated with one or more segments of the media item. Further, the context vector can be stored in one or more data structures or forms, such as RDF/XML (Resource Description Framework/Extensible Markup Language).

In one embodiment, the media platform 103 can detect movements (e.g., a tilting) based on the context vectors of the various UEs 101 participating in the capture of the media content. More specifically, the media platform can detect, for instance, the duration, the speed, and the extent of the movement or tilt of the UEs 101 (e.g., camera-enabled devices that can record video, audio, images, etc. such as digital cameras, mobile phones, camcorders, tablets, etc.) by interpreting sensor readings from the UEs 101 (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.). In one embodiment, the sensor readings are time-stamped to enable correlation of media items recorded among multiple UEs 101. It is also contemplated that the movement or tilt may be sampled with either a fixed or variable rate.

In another embodiment, the camera tilts or movements are classified according to their speed. For example, such classification can be “slow”, “medium”, and “fast”.

In another embodiment, if a user is not performing a tilting action (e.g., tilting or moving with zero speed), the steady-state angle of the camera tilt is recorded; this angle is computed with respect to the horizontal plane (plane that is perpendicular to the Earth's gravitational force).

In another embodiment, if the tilt speed exceeds a certain threshold, then the corresponding (in time) recorded media item (e.g., a video segment) can be marked as having unacceptably fast tilt. For example, the media platform 103 can avoid use of such video segments in the case of automatic mixing of video recordings.

In another embodiment, two or more UEs 101 (e.g., recording a given event) are performing simultaneous (in time) camera tilting actions and their compass orientations are similar (defined within some threshold), then the tilt durations and the steady-state angles of camera tilts (before and after the camera tilt) are used to detect a moving object of common interest as well as the relative distance of the UEs 101 from this object. The UEs 101 that are not performing the above mentioned simultaneous tilt can be considered to be recording a different scene.

In another embodiment, if the altitudes of two or more UEs 101 are known to be the same or very similar, their compass orientations are similar (defined within some threshold), and these UEs 101 are not performing a camera tilting action, then the ratio between the distances from each UE 101 to the scene can be established from the steady-state camera tilt angles.

In another embodiment of the invention, if the physical locations of two or more UEs 101 are known, their compass orientations are similar (defined within some threshold), and these UEs 101 are not performing tilting action (e.g., tilting with zero speed), then from their steady-state camera tilt angles, it can be computed whether the UEs 101 are pointing to the scene of common interest (e.g., a scene to which the majority of the users are pointing to).

In another embodiment of the invention, if simultaneous (or within a predefined temporal threshold) tilting action is observed between multiple users (more than the defined threshold) at the same event, then it can be concluded that they are following a common object of interest. And this information can be used to prioritize the use of video segments from these users to include interesting objects or occurrences at the event. The users who are not performing the above mentioned simultaneous tilt can be considered to be recording a different scene and consequently get less priority.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, if the steady-state angle of tilt exceeds a certain threshold or if it's absolute difference with the common steady-state angle of tilt exceeds a certain threshold, then the corresponding recorded video segment will be labeled as having unacceptable angle of tilt. As means of example, such video segments are to be avoided in the case of automatic mixing of video recordings.

Further, the media platform 103 can automatically determine or infer information about the occurrence of an event or other event related information by evaluating one or more of the context vectors received from one or more UEs 101 a-101 c during an event. By way of example, a context vector can be transmitted as a data structure of information (e.g., independent of media content and/or with the media content). The context vector may be utilized to determine one or more focal points of a plurality of UEs 101 by using the location and orientation of each of multiple UEs 101 (e.g., the intersection of the orientation or views of the UEs 101). This focus may be determined to be a center or other important point of the event. In one scenario, the context vector is separated from the media to conserve bandwidth when transmitting the context vector to the media platform 103. Under this scenario, the context vectors may be transmitted in real time or near real time while the actual media is streamed or transmitted at a later time. With this approach, guidance can be provided to other users capturing the event 111. Moreover, a media application 109 may include options as to participate or not participate in a service provided by the media platform 103 to determine the existence of events and/or publish media of the user of the application 109. In certain embodiments, to encourage participation, the user may be recognized or compensated if the user's media is presented to other users.

In one embodiment, the media platform 103 may determine or otherwise infer descriptive concepts associated with events or objects of the media capture by evaluating the context vectors and/or the recorded media items. This enables the media platform 103 to achieve higher levels of semantics in detecting interesting concepts for describing recorded media items.

As used herein, the term descriptive concepts refer to descriptions of occurrences and/or abstract ideas that describe something about the event or scene captured in the media items. By way of example, descriptive concepts may include descriptions such as “musical performance,” “salient sports video segment,” “guitar player,” and the like. Moreover, the detection of a specific descriptive concept may involve detection of temporal actions (e.g., “start of a guitar solo”) and other such characteristics (e.g., “the video has been recorded at a musical performance,” “User 3 is recording the guitar player,” etc.).

In some embodiments, descriptive concepts may be defined at two different levels: primitive concepts and composite concepts. For example, primitive concepts can refer to simpler concepts that can be detected by using one modality of data (e.g., either by using electronic compass data, video content data, or audio analysis data) and by exploiting only one or a few characteristics of the considered data (e.g., regarding compass data, one primitive concept could be the detection of “camera panning” by exploiting the temporal variation of compass data; another primitive concept could be “Region of Interest” by exploiting the information given by the compass about the most common direction of the camera throughout the whole video recording session). Therefore, primitive concepts are generally unimodal (unidimensional) concepts.

In one embodiment, composite concepts are multi-dimensional and more complex descriptive concepts that are detected by considering the co-occurrence or temporal sequence of different primitive concepts (e.g., a composite concept could be “User 2 is recording the guitar player performing a solo”, by detecting the following primitive concepts: “User 2 is recording the guitar player” by exploiting video content data, and “A guitar solo has started” by exploiting the audio content data). Composite concepts can be either unimodal (if it uses different primitive concepts detected by exploiting the same modality, e.g., compass data) or multimodal (if it uses different primitive concepts detected by exploiting different modalities, e.g., compass data and audio content data).

Generally, the context in which multimedia data are captured is of importance for performing inference on the real meaning of the concepts that have been detected through content analysis. Therefore, by exploiting other types of sensors and the availability of multiple users that are recording the same scene as discussed in the various embodiments of the approach described herein, it is then possible to achieve the contextualization of the recorded video content, allowing for a more effective indexing and retrieval of the recorded multimedia content. In the context of the automatic video editing system, such an approach would allow for generating a director's cut of the recorded scene that is much closer to what a human director would produce, as it is able to take into consideration concepts with higher levels of semantics. For example, if the descriptive concept “A guitar solo starts and User 3 is recording the guitar player” is detected, then the automatic video editing system could use this concept for deciding to include the video of User 3 when the guitar solo starts, into the final director's cut of the musical event.

In one embodiment, to determine descriptive contexts, the media platform 103 exploits two aspects: (1) the availability of many recording users, and (2) the multimodal data capturing capabilities of modern recording devices (such as mobile phones). The detected descriptive concepts are then used in an automatic video editing system for understanding what has been recorded by the users, in order to decide how to produce a compilation cut of the event (e.g., which video segments to include). Higher levels of semantics and, thus, more abstract concepts are detected by exploiting either the co-occurrence or the temporal sequence of simpler primitive concepts. In the following part of this section the reason why multimodal data and the availability of multiple recording users are exploited is described below.

In one embodiment, multimodal data (data captured by multimodal sensing, e.g., data from different source types, such as video content data from video camera, audio content data from microphone, accelerometer data, compass data, gyroscope data, etc.) is used for better contextualizing the recorded multimedia data, e.g., to provide additional data that can better describe the context of the recorded scene. Each modality can provide the means to infer the primitive concepts, and then the combination of primitive concepts from different modalities is used to infer composite concepts. The composite concepts allow for a better and more robust contextualization. For example, some primitive concepts that could be extracted from each modality could be the following: “Panning operation” by using compass data, “Change in color layout and illumination” by using video content data, “End of a song” by using audio content data. Potential correlation between different modalities could be detected in order to understand whether there is a concept that has been sensed by different types of sensors. For example, the concept “End of a song, audience starting clapping and User 3 turning his camera towards the audience” could be detected by detecting the co-occurrence in User 3's data of “End of the song and people start clapping” (from audio content data) and “Camera is turned towards the audience” (from electronic compass data).

In one embodiment, the availability of a multitude of recording devices with multimodal data capture capabilities is used for obtaining more robust inferences (by exploiting better statistical relevance) of concepts. In fact, if a certain occurrence is detected as being present in the data recorded by several devices within approximately the same temporal window, then this detection could be considered as more reliable than if it had been detected as being present in the data recorded by only one device. For example, if a panning operation is detected in several devices' compass data within the same temporal window, then it could mean that there has been some object (e.g., which was moving, or which has suddenly appeared) in the scene and it has been considered worth recording by not only one but several devices. Thus, there is a high probability that the object is really something interesting and worth including into the final director's cut. In order to improve reliability and robustness of concept detection exploiting multiple devices, techniques such as cross-correlation (or other correlation measures) of data from different devices can be used for identifying similarity,

Therefore, correlation and co-occurrence is considered at multiple levels (but not limited to): (1) among different data source types of the same device, and (2) among the same data source type captured by different devices, and (3) among different data source types captured by different users.

In one embodiment, the detection of concepts represents the indexing of the multimedia data recorded by the devices participating to the same event. Such indexed data can then be exploited by any system or service, not only by the automatic video editing service, that might need to access the semantic concepts contained in the video recordings in order to achieve its specific task. For example, a service that provides the functionality of browsing videos by accessing the most interesting segments would need such an indexing operation as a pre-processing step that has to be performed on the source videos.

The media platform 103 may receive the context vectors and the media from UEs 101 and store the information in one or more databases. The context vectors can be stored in a context data database 113. The context data database 113 may be utilized to store current and historical data about events. Moreover, the media platform 103 may have access to additional historical data (e.g., historical sensor data or additional historical information about a region that may or may not be associated with events) to determine if an event is occurring or has occurred at a particular time. This feature can be useful in determining if newly uploaded media items can be associated with one or more events. A media data database 115 can be utilized for collecting and storing media items. The media items may include metadata including associated content vectors.

The events or historical data may be sorted using the geo-location of the UEs 101 or a determined geo-location of events. Further, the media may be published from the media data database 115 to one or more UEs (e.g., UE 101 n). The media platform 103 may additionally extract an identifier associated with a particular UE 101 from a received context vector and associate the user and/or UE 101 with a profile. The user profile may be utilized to collect historical event information about a particular UE 101 or user. This data may be used in determining how useful associated media items may be in a compilation.

The media platform 103 can utilize criteria from a criteria data database 117 to generate one or more compilations. As previously noted, the compilations can represent a director's cut of media items associated with an event 111. Generation of the compilations is further detailed in FIGS. 3 and 4.

By way of example, the communication network 105 of system 100 includes one or more networks such as a data network (not shown), a wireless network (not shown), a telephony network (not shown), or any combination thereof. It is contemplated that the data network may be any local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), a public data network (e.g., the Internet), short range wireless network, or any other suitable packet-switched network, such as a commercially owned, proprietary packet-switched network, e.g., a proprietary cable or fiber-optic network, and the like, or any combination thereof. In addition, the wireless network may be, for example, a cellular network and may employ various technologies including enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), wireless LAN (WLAN), Bluetooth®, Internet Protocol (IP) data casting, satellite, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), and the like, or any combination thereof

By way of example, the UEs 101 and media platform(s) 103, communicate with each other and other components of the communication network 105 using well known, new or still developing protocols. In this context, a protocol includes a set of rules defining how the network nodes within the communication network 105 interact with each other based on information sent over the communication links. The protocols are effective at different layers of operation within each node, from generating and receiving physical signals of various types, to selecting a link for transferring those signals, to the format of information indicated by those signals, to identifying which software application executing on a computer system sends or receives the information. The conceptually different layers of protocols for exchanging information over a network are described in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model.

Communications between the network nodes are typically effected by exchanging discrete packets of data. Each packet typically comprises (1) header information associated with a particular protocol, and (2) payload information that follows the header information and contains information that may be processed independently of that particular protocol. In some protocols, the packet includes (3) trailer information following the payload and indicating the end of the payload information. The header includes information such as the source of the packet, its destination, the length of the payload, and other properties used by the protocol. Often, the data in the payload for the particular protocol includes a header and payload for a different protocol associated with a different, higher layer of the OSI Reference Model. The header for a particular protocol typically indicates a type for the next protocol contained in its payload. The higher layer protocol is said to be encapsulated in the lower layer protocol. The headers included in a packet traversing multiple heterogeneous networks, such as the Internet, typically include a physical (layer 1) header, a data-link (layer 2) header, an internetwork (layer 3) header and a transport (layer 4) header, and various application headers (layer 5, layer 6 and layer 7) as defined by the OSI Reference Model.

In one embodiment, the UE 101 and media platform 103 interact according to a client-server model. According to the client-server model, a client process sends a message including a request to a server process, and the server process responds by providing a service. The server process may also return a message with a response to the client process. Often the client process and server process execute on different computer devices, called hosts, and communicate via a network using one or more protocols for network communications. The term “server” is conventionally used to refer to the process that provides the service, or the host computer on which the process operates. Similarly, the term “client” is conventionally used to refer to the process that makes the request, or the host computer on which the process operates. As used herein, the terms “client” and “server” refer to the processes, rather than the host computers, unless otherwise clear from the context. In addition, the process performed by a server can be broken up to run as multiple processes on multiple hosts (sometimes called tiers) for reasons that include reliability, scalability, and redundancy, among others.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the components of a UE 101, according to one embodiment. By way of example, the UE 101 includes one or more components for collecting and transmitting media items and context vectors. It is contemplated that the functions of these components may be combined in one or more components or performed by other components of equivalent functionality. In this embodiment, the UE 101 includes a media platform interface 201 to communicate with the media platform 103, a sensor module 107 that includes a location module 203 to determine the location of a UE 101, a range module 204 to detect the range of an object from the UE 101 while capturing media, a magnetometer module 205 to determine horizontal orientation of the UE 101, an accelerometer module 207 to determine vertical orientation of the UE 101, a gyroscope module 208 to determine orientation and rotation of the UE 101, an altimeter module 209 to determine altitude, a camera module 210 to capture images, and other sensor modules (not shown), a media module 211 that may be used to capture media, a runtime module 213 to execute applications on the UE 101, a user interface 215, and a communication interface 217. Information from the location module 203, range module 204, magnetometer module 205, accelerometer module 207, and media module 211 may be used to determine the direction or vector along which the UE 101 is aligned when, for instance, capturing event related media or information (e.g., the direction or vector along which a camera of the UE 101 is pointed when capturing an image of an event). In this way, the UE 101 may generate and transmit a context vector to media platform 103 that includes the directional and location information. Further, the UE 101 may embed the context vector in media transmitted to the media platform 103 to determine the existence of a current event, existence of a past event, or a combination thereof.

The media platform interface 201 is used by the runtime module 213 to communicate with a media platform 103. In some embodiments, the interface is used to upload media and context vectors for processing at the media platform 103. Further, the media platform interface 201 may be utilized by an application 109 to receive event information from the media platform 103. In certain embodiments, the event information includes a determination that an event 111 is occurring, an extent of the event 111, a face of the event 111, a structure of the event 111, a type of the event 111, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the face of the event 111 is the direction of a focus point of the event 111 points towards (e.g., a front stage at a concert). As such, the face of the event 111 may be the outward presentation of the event that the UEs 101 capture media regarding the event from. The location module 203, magnetometer module 205, accelerometer module 207, and media module 211 may be utilized to create context vectors to transmit to the media platform 103.

Moreover, in certain embodiments, UEs 101 may additionally communicate with other UEs 101 and devices via the communication interface 217. In these scenarios, information may be transmitted between UEs 101 via a peer-to-peer network topology. The UE 101 may communicate with other UEs 101 utilizing an application 109 based on proximity to the other UEs 101 (e.g., via a Near Field Communication (NFC) connection). In certain embodiments, NFC technology is a short-range technology that enables two-way interactions between devices. NFC technology can be used to communicate with smartcards, readers, and other NFC devices (e.g., another UE 101). NFC can utilize a magnetic field induction (e.g., using antennas) to communicate with other NFC devices that are located within a certain distance. For example, NFC device can transmit on a radio band (e.g., the radio band of 13.56 MHz). In another embodiment, a first UE 101 b may utilize a second UE 101 a as a conduit to communicate with the media platform 103. In this scenario, the second UE 101 a may collect information (e.g., context vectors and/or media) from the first UE 101 b and upload the information to the media platform 103. This may be useful when there is a crowd of UEs 101 (which may regularly occur during an event) and the network is a bottleneck or congested because of the crowd.

In one embodiment, the location module 203 can determine a user's location. The user's location can be determined by a triangulation system such as a GPS, assisted GPS (A-GPS) A-GPS, Cell of Origin, wireless local area network triangulation, or other location extrapolation technologies. Standard GPS and A-GPS systems can use satellites to pinpoint the location (e.g., longitude, latitude, and altitude) of the UE 101. A Cell of Origin system can be used to determine the cellular tower that a cellular UE 101 is synchronized with. This information provides a coarse location of the UE 101 because the cellular tower can have a unique cellular identifier (cell-ID) that can be geographically mapped. The location module 203 may also utilize multiple technologies to detect the location of the UE 101. GPS coordinates can provide finer detail as to the location of the UE 101. The location module 203 may be utilized by the application 109 to capture location information as part of a context vector to transmit to the media platform 103.

The range module 204 can include one or more sensors that sense the range of an object. For example, an infrared sensor, a radio sensor, a sonic sensor, a laser, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a radar, etc. can be utilized to determine a range between the UE 101 and an object. The range detection can further be guided to determine how far an object centered by the UE 101 is. The range module 204 can thus detect what is in view and whether the view includes one or more obstructions to an event 111. Range detection is further detailed in FIG. 7B.

The magnetometer module 205 can include an instrument that can measure the strength and/or direction of a magnetic field. Using the same approach as a compass, the magnetometer is capable of determining the direction of a UE 101 using the magnetic field of the Earth. The front of a media capture device (e.g., a camera module 210) can be marked as a reference point in determining direction. Thus, if the magnetic field points north compared to the reference point, the angle the UE 101 reference point is from the magnetic field is known. Simple calculations can be made to determine the direction of the UE 101. In one embodiment, horizontal directional data obtained from a magnetometer is stored in a context vector when media is captured. This directional information may be correlated with the location information of the UE 101 and other UEs 101 to determine a focus point (e.g., where multiple vectors associated with the determined locations cross paths) for the event 111.

Further, the accelerometer module 207 may include an instrument that can measure acceleration. Using a three-axis accelerometer, with axes X, Y, and Z, provides the acceleration in three directions with known angles. Once again, the front of a media capture device can be marked as a reference point in determining direction. Because the acceleration due to gravity is known, when a UE 101 is stationary, the accelerometer module 207 can determine the angle the UE 101 is pointed as compared to Earth's gravity. In one embodiment, vertical directional data obtained from an accelerometer is stored in the context vector when media is captured.

The gyroscope module 208 may also be used to measure orientation with respect to a particular direction as well as rotation of the UE 101 around a particular point. In one embodiment, the point of reference for orientation and rotation may be the front of the media capture device. In some embodiments, the measurements of the gyroscope can be used to determine tilt information.

Moreover, the altimeter module 209 may be utilized to determine the altitude of the UE 101 during the event. Altitude information may be included in the event vector to determine a vantage of the user while capturing media. Moreover, altitude information may be used to determine events happening at a single longitude and latitude location, but at a different elevation (e.g., on a roof of a building, edge of a cliff, etc.). In certain embodiments, the altimeter module 209 includes a pressure altimeter that determines barometric pressure to determine the altitude. In another embodiment, the UE 101 may include a temperature sensor that is used to infer altitude based on the ambient temperature (e.g., temperature decreases at known rate with increasing altitude). In addition or alternatively, GPS information may be utilized to determine altitude information.

Media can be captured using a media capture device associated with the media module 211. A media capture device may include a camera module 210, an audio recorder, a video camera, a combination thereof, etc. In one embodiment, visual media is captured in the form of an image or a series of images. The media module 211 can obtain the image from a camera and embed the image within an event vector also containing location data, timing data, and orientation data. Moreover, the event vector may additionally include air-pressure sensor data, temperature sensor data, other such sensor data, or a combination thereof. Timing information can be synchronized between UEs 101 utilizing one or more services. In certain embodiments, the UEs 101 include a cellular radio. The cellular radio can be utilized to synchronize the UE 101 to a particular time associated with a wireless carrier. Carrier information can be included as metadata because different carriers can include different timing clocks. As such, the timing information can be synchronized based on carrier. Additionally, one or more offsets can be determined between UEs 101 associated with different carriers. Further, content processing (e.g., audio processing) may be utilized to synchronize timing of associated media items.

Information that is collected to transmit to the media platform 103 may be controlled and viewed using the user interface 215, which can include various methods of communication. For example, the user interface 215 can have outputs including a visual component (e.g., a screen), an audio component (e.g., a verbal instructions), a physical component (e.g., vibrations), and other methods of communication. User inputs can include a touch-screen interface, microphone, camera, a scroll-and-click interface, a button interface, etc. Further, the user may input a request to start an application 109 and utilize the user interface 215 while capturing media. Additionally or alternatively, the UE 101 may include an application 109 that can be presented using the user interface 215. Utilizing the user interface 215, the user may select to view one or more views of the event 111 and/or request that events nearby the user be presented to the user. Further, the user may, while capturing media items, receive output describing where to focus and/or other guidance information.

Additionally, the user interface 215 can be utilized to present compilations of media items. For example, the runtime module 213 can request the compilation from the media platform via the media platform interface 201. The runtime module 213 can then receive the compilation (e.g., via download or a stream) and present the content via the user interface 215. In certain embodiments, the user can enter parameters for determining criteria to control the user experience of the compilation via the user interface 215. This criteria and/or parameters for determining the criteria can be sent to the media platform 103. The media platform 103 can process the compilation according to the criteria and send the compilation. The runtime module 213 can then receive the compilation and present it via the user interface 215. The compilation can be made dynamically according to one or more interactive responses.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process for generating a compilation of media items, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, control logic of the media platform 103 performs the process 300 and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown in FIG. 11. Additionally or alternatively, one or more portions of the process 300 can be implemented via another device (e.g., the UE 101). As such, control logic of the media platform 103 and/or other devices can be utilized to implement one or more steps of the process 300.

At step 301, the control logic of the media platform 103 receives a plurality of media items. These media items can be utilized for generating a compilation media item (e.g., a director's cut compilation). Further, these media items can be stored in the media data database 115 of the media platform 103. The media items can be in the form of one or more video items, audio items, image items, etc. For example, the media items can be streamed to the media platform 103 and/or sent as a file, e.g., in Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) format, Windows® media formats (e.g., Windows® Media Video (WMV)), Audio Video Interleave (AVI) format, as well as new and/or proprietary formats. In certain embodiments, these media items can additionally include associated context vectors as part of the media items, as metadata in the media items, or as a separate file associated with the media items.

The media platform 103 determines respective context vectors associated with the media items (step 303). The context vectors can include orientation information (e.g., angular separation with respect to a particular direction such as North), geo-location information, timing information, a combination thereof, and can be associated with the creation of the respective media items. For example, the context vector associated with a frame of a video can include the time the frame was captured as well as the location the UE 101 capturing the media item was. Moreover, as noted above, the context vector may include accelerometer data, magnetometer data, altimeter data, zoom level data, focal length data, field of view data, or combinations thereof. The media platform 103 can determine the context vectors by using one or more identifiers linking the media items to respective context vectors, extracting the context vectors from the media items, or the like.

At step 305, the media platform 103 determines one or more criteria, user preferences, or a combination thereof for selecting from among the media items to include in a compilation. This step can occur multiple times as one or more criteria can be updated (e.g., based on user input, change in a service performed by the media platform 103, etc.). The criteria can include one or more specifications and/or filters associated with the context vectors and/or media items. For example, one criterion may include a preference or threshold as to what quality media item to include in the compilation (e.g., a resolution for a video file). Another criterion can be to utilize an advantageous view in the compilation. This can be based on a determined face(s) of an event associated with the context vectors. The determination of the faces is further detailed in FIGS. 7A-7C. One such advantageous criterion includes a determination that the media item is capturing the event from an elevated location. Another criterion includes a determination that the media item has an unobstructed view of the event. As such, the criteria can include one or more rules specifying a beneficial range of one or more parameters in a context vector. Additionally, these criteria can be determined based on one or more algorithms associated with determining views based on multiple UEs 101 capturing media items during an event. For example, in one scenario, the criteria include parameters associated with panning of a UE 101 while capturing an associated media item. For example, it may be undesirable to watch a media item with a large amount of minor panning, but it may be desirable to watch media items that change focus to a particular sub-event occurring during an event. As noted above, the panning can be detected via the context vectors (e.g., based on the magnetometer module 205 and/or accelerometer module 207). The associated magnetometer information and/or accelerometer information can be analyzed for detecting the panning One or more panning events can be detected from the context vectors (e.g., based on criteria and/or patterns).

Moreover, the criteria can be changed based on user input. For example, if a user is viewing the compilation, the viewer may be provided one or more options to specify criteria. In this example, the compilation can be augmented based on the specified criteria. In one scenario, the user is provided the compilation on a touch screen device. The user may input additional criteria using the touch screen. For example, if the user is interested in a particular view of the event from another angle, this can be selected as criteria. Additionally or alternatively, the user may be provided arrows for specifying criteria that the user is interested in those views. When selected, the preference can be added as criteria. As such, if a media item includes such a view, the media item will receive preference for viewing. If no such media items exist, then the closest view and/or angle to the selection can receive preference for viewing.

In certain embodiments, the criteria can be utilized to determine a score to decide what segment from what media item to incorporate in a compilation. The scoring mechanism can be based on corresponding segments of media items and is further detailed in FIGS. 4 and 8.

At step 307, the media platform 103 generates a compilation of at least a portion of the media items based, at least in part, on the context vectors. For example, multiple media items can be selected for incorporation in the compilation based on the one or more criteria. The incorporation can be further based on one or more events, sub-events, and/or focal points (e.g., regions of interest) of the media items based, at least in part, on the respective context vectors. In one example, a sub-event can be detected based on a detected panning and/or focus change in one or more media items associated with an event. When this occurs, the compilation can include a view from a media item focused on the sub-event. In another example, the compilation can be based, at least in part, on a viewing of one media item. Additionally or alternatively, one or more media items can be incorporated at the same time. For example, multiple views can be incorporated in the compilation for the same time segment. In this manner, a view focused on a sub-event can be presented simultaneously with a view focused on another portion of the event. The compilation incorporation is further detailed in FIGS. 4 and 8.

The media platform 103 distributes the compilation of media items (step 309). In certain scenarios, the distribution is determined by the control logic to be provided via a web portal. For example, the media platform 103 may host a web page and/or may determine to post the media items and/or compilation on another web portal (e.g., via a social networking hosting site). Further, the compilation can be based, at least in part, on a media item that a user is viewing.

For example, the user of a UE 101 selects a media item to view. The media platform 103 presents the media item and generates a director's cut based, at least in part, on the media item. This director's cut can be presented to the user as a selectable option. As such, the media platform 103 searches a context data database 113 for media items that include context vectors associated with an event associated with the presented media item. The director's cut can then select criteria based, at least in part, on the media item (step 305) and generate the compilation (step 307). Then, the compilation can be transmitted to a UE 101 of the user for presentation (step 309). This compilation can be presented as a stream and/or media files. As previously noted, the user can be presented with one or more options to modify the compilation (e.g., by selecting additional criteria). In certain scenarios, the media items can have associated user ratings (e.g., a score). These scores may additionally be utilized in determining which media items to utilize in the compilation (e.g., the best scores can be weighted with a preference for being included in the compilation).

FIG. 4 is a diagram of utilizing a media platform to generate a compilation of media items, according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, users utilize UEs 101 a-101 n at an event 401 (e.g., a soccer event). At the event, media items as well as associated context vectors are sent from the UEs 101 to the media platform 103. The media platform 103 can store this information in the context data database 113 and/or media data database 115. In certain embodiments, the context data database 113 can be populated utilizing one or more scripts to import serialized context data. The serialization helps facilitate access of the context vectors.

During the event 401, or at a later time, the media platform 103 can output a compilation (e.g., a director's cut) based on the context vectors, media items, and criteria stored in a criteria data database 117. As previously noted, sensor data can be stored as context vectors and may be stored in any format, such as RDF/XML files, similar suitable formats, or proprietary formats. The UE 101 clock can be synchronized with a common shared clock between all of the UEs 101 recording content that is used for automatic video editing at the media platform 103. The common shared clock may be a GPS clock, wall clock time, or any suitable clock that is accurate and stable. For example, a cellular UE 101 can be synchronized based on a network clock. Also, a software implementation may record accurate timestamps for each sensor data reading in order to correctly interpret the actions of the content capturer (e.g., panning, tilt, etc.). The sensor data from the compass, accelerometer, altimeter, etc. can be transferred either in real-time, in a non real-time fashion, or at any convenient time to the media platform 103 along with the captured media items.

The media platform 103 can analyze 403 the media items and context data to determine one or more events associated with media items (e.g., a determination that the UEs 101 are at the event 401). This may be based on timing information as well as orientation information, geo-location information, and view focus determinations. One or more data analysis 403 and media editing 405 tools can be utilized in determining the output compilation 407. Once various segments from media items are selected during the editing process 405, the media items are spliced 409 together to generate the compilation. The analysis, editing, and splicing are further detailed in FIG. 8.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of views of media items collected by user equipment utilized to generate a compilation, according to one embodiment. According to this embodiment, various UEs 101 capture media items and context vectors associated with various views 501, 503, 505 of an event 507. As noted above, the timing information associated with the UEs 101 can be synchronized. As such, it can be determined that one or more of the views 501, 503, 505 occur at the same time. These views 501, 503, 505 can be determined to be associated with one or more perspectives of the event 507. Further, the views 501, 503, 505 can be utilized in generating a director's cut compilation 509. In certain embodiments, the compilation 509 may include more than one view in a frame (e.g., creating a 360 degree angle of viewing by including more than one view 501, 503, 505). Additionally or alternatively, one or more views may be filtered out based on one or more criteria. For example, the primary event may be determined to be associated with the front view 501 (e.g., because more media items are associated with the front view), while some UE context vectors were associated with the side view 505, and even less with the back view 503. As such, the compilation 509 can include these views proportionally or with respect to criteria.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of signaling between user equipment and a media platform for generating a compilation, according to one embodiment. During the course of an event, the media platform 103 and/or another platform can be utilized to provide guidance to UEs 101 for collecting media. As such, the UEs 101 can be associated with a service and/or application for collaboratively collecting media. Thus, signaling can be utilized in informing UEs 101 of guidance. Signaling can occur in real-time during the occurrence of an event. As such, the media platform 103 can collect and store context vectors 601 associated with the event. Further, the media platform 103 can analyze the context vectors to determine one or more characteristics associated with captured media items. These characteristics can be utilized to determine one or more deficiencies in media items or improvements that can be made in media collection. With this approach, the media platform 103 can determine one or more messages to direct capturing of media items based on the characteristics. Characteristics can be based on one or more parameters (e.g., one or more context vector parameters). Additionally or alternatively, the characteristics can be based on analysis of context vectors. For example, characteristics can include determinations of whether a particular view of the event is missing, can be improved (e.g., by increasing the altitude of the UE 101 capturing the media), or whether multiple users have overlapping media item creation and it could be advantageous to move one or the users to another angle. Corresponding instructions can be generated at the media platform 103 and sent to UEs 101 via server messages 603. These messages can be processed, rendered, and presented to users of the UEs 101.

One advantage of utilizing such messages is to support cooperation between users of UEs 101 to provide for a better compilation. Thus, the media platform 103 can determine whether two (or more) users that are recording the event by pointing their recording UEs 101 (i.e., cameras) in directions that intersect are actually capturing the same scene or different scenes. In this manner, it is possible to determine if there is an overlap in the captured area between the two users.

Further, the messages can be utilized for maximizing the recorded area of the event. Each user may choose not to capture an area of the stage or event that is already being covered by other users, and focus on another area, thus maximizing the number of available views of that event (e.g., in case something unexpected or significant occurs). A possible variant of this concept would include making each user aware of the areas that are not being covered by others. As such, the messages 603 can provide information about deficiencies in coverage and/or instructions to follow (e.g., move left and point up or provide a view using a corresponding viewfinder).

Moreover, according to the system 100, each user could be able to receive information regarding from which angle a specific area is being captured by other users (i.e., which viewpoint the other users have). Thus, users may decide to capture the same area already being covered by others, but from a different viewpoint. As noted previously, explicit instructions may additionally be provided.

If, media platform 103, generating the automatic compilation of the event deduces that two users are recording different scenes, then the compilation creation system may decide whether to use both or only one of these two content versions. This determination can be based on preferences or criteria for generating the compilation or video summary (e.g., visualizing the highest number of views of different areas in the event, visualizing the highest number of view-points with different angle of the same scene in the event). Range information, as further described in FIGS. 7 a-7C is useful for deducing overlaps in the captured view as well as for understanding whether a user is capturing something that is relatively close or far from the user. In fact, based on statistics (e.g., number of users pointing to a certain location of the whole event area for the most of the time) and on metadata (context vectors), the media platform 103 can use range information for understanding whether the user is pointing at something that is not the main interest point of the event. For example, the user may be pointing at a friend who happens to be closer to the UE 101 compared to the main interest point (e.g., a music performance stage at a concert event). Using this information, the media platform 103 may decide to use that particular view only for a short time interval or not at all.

The media platform 103 can use the context vectors associated with multiple UEs 101 to determine the overlap of view between respective users of the UEs 101. Depending on context vectors captured by the devices and the analysis by the media platform 103, the users can get recommendation messages about the overlapping region mentioning parameters such as the accuracy of the determined overlap region, the viewing context of other users, etc. The media platform may also use the captured content data to decide on a radius of interest and/or range of interest for a particular user or a set of users. The radius of interest and the range of interest are useful in defining at what distance from the user position it would be useful to know about an overlap between multiple users.

Using the compass orientation, location (GPS or indoor position), tilt angle, altitude, it is possible to determine the viewing axis of the user. Using the zoom, focal length, field of view it is possible to estimate the view cone for each user. Collating the view cones of multiple users and using the Radius of Interest for each device (e.g., using the ranging sensor) enables the media platform 103 to determine the intersection planes between users. This intersection volume determines the overlapping region between the users. Using the individual Radius of Interest of each device, the service can calculate the expected radius of interest for the event from locations where there are no users currently. If the overlapping region coincides with the radius of interest and within range of interest (e.g., a range of 10 m at a distance of 20 m from the users), the user can be notified that an overlap exists for the user's view of recorded content. The user can then either choose to modify the user's viewing angle to better cover the event or concert with a non-overlapping view or even choose to ignore the recommendation.

A focal length can also be used to determine if a user in a certain position is actually recording the common content of interest (e.g., the stage in case of a concert) or some object right in front of him (e.g., his friend). If an object of interest for a certain user is determined as “out of range” of another user's radius of interest, the other user need not be informed about potential overlap even if the user's viewing angle, location, etc. might indicate a potential overlap. By using these techniques, it can be possible to minimize false detections of overlaps between users.

Further, these server messages 603 can help the user make a more informed decision about how to capture the user's media items in a manner that can maximize the gain when the content from the multiple sources is combined. Thus, these server messages 603, in addition to providing information for maximal coverage of the event, may also provide information to the users about the redundancy of recorded content between different recorded media items.

The context vector signaled by the devices to the server can be sent over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), any other suitable transport mechanism. The context vector information may be transported as a Session Description Protocol (SDP)/XML/binary or any other suitable format. The signaling messages 603 from the media platform 103 can also be transported over HTTP/SIP/RTSP, included in SDP/XML/binary, or any such suitable format.

FIGS. 7A-7C are map diagrams displaying example maps of locations utilized to generate context vector information, according to various embodiments. The determination of the focal point may be further described utilizing the map 700 of FIG. 7A. The map 700 displays multiple users 701, 703, 705 utilizing UEs 101 to transmit event information to the media platform 103. Magnetometer information may be utilized to determine an angle with respect to north. This angle can be utilized to determine vectors 707, 709, 711 pointing towards a location that the user is interested in capturing media about from the user's location 701, 703, 705. The user's location 701, 703, 705 may be stored and utilized using latitude and longitude information and/or other location coordinate information (e.g., GPS coordinates). The vectors 707, 709, 711 may be analyzed to determine one or more intersection points, which may be considered a focal point 713. In certain embodiments, there may be more than one focal point 713 associated with a determined event. Further, the location information may include an altitude and the accelerometer data may be utilized to add a three dimensional component to the focal point 713. With this data, the vectors may be analyzed in a three dimensional space. Further, coarse determinations may be made with regard to the accelerometer data (e.g., whether each user has a lower vantage point or a higher vantage point in relation to the focal point 713).

Further, an area of extent associated with the event may be determined. A perimeter may be determined using orthogonal boundary lines 715, 717, 719. These lines may be orthogonal to the determined vectors 707, 709, 711. Moreover, if there are gaps in the perimeter, the focal point 713 may be utilized to determine the boundary. In other embodiments, the area of extent may be determined to be an area based on a radius from the focal point 713 to the furthest user. Additionally, the structure of the event may be determined based on the focal point and the area of extent. For instance, if the focal point 713 is in the sky, it may be determined that the structure of the event is a sky event. Moreover, if the focal point 713 is only captured from a particular side, it can be determined that the event faces a certain direction from the focal point 713 (e.g., the event faces south west from the focal point 713). This structural information may be used to determine a type of event associated with the event. In this manner, the structure of the event may be determined to be a stage facing the determined direction, a sky event, a stadium event (if it is determined that the UEs 101 have a higher vantage point than the focal point 713), a building event (e.g., if the UEs 101 are within a building) etc. When the focal point 713 is determined and area of extent is determined, the area of extent may be associated with a map. This map may be utilized to disseminate information about events to the users of the media platform 103 (e.g., using messages described in FIG. 6).

FIG. 7B is an example map diagram displaying a map of locations utilized to generate context vector information, according to one embodiment. This map more particularly points out a radius of interest 731, 733 of users capturing media items using UEs 101. These ranges of interest can be utilized in determination of context data. Further, as noted above, UEs 101 can capture media as well as context vector information 735. Moreover, as described in FIG. 6, a real-time communication sub-system can be utilized to receive instructions or guidance from the media platform 103, which can coordinate between multiple UEs 101.

As such, users are made aware of already covered areas of the event. By having a real-time bi-directional channel between each user's UE 101 and the media platform 103 (e.g., via cellular radio network, WLAN, or other networking technologies), one or more UEs 101 can continuously send both location data and compass data, as well as other context vector information (e.g., in RDF/XML format), at a given rate to the media platform 103. The media platform 103 can then send back to each UE 101 information about areas already being covered by the other users. Then, each user can be presented on his/her viewfinder a rectangle (or other form of visual representation) that highlights the already covered area (if it lies inside the currently captured area of that user). A different viewfinder view would display the negative view, i.e., the areas of the event that have not been covered by any user recorded video.

The angle from which the already covered areas are being captured by the other users may additionally be displayed by modifying the shape of the rectangle accordingly, by drawing an arrow that would represent the pointing direction (e.g., as shown in FIG. 9A).

To determine an overlapping region 737 (e.g., focus point) in the viewfinders of two or more UEs 101, context data from the range sensor can be used to generate information about the overlapping view more accurately. The data that may be recorded by each UE 101 that is recording media items. Moreover, each of the UEs 101 can be associated with a radius of interest based on the range sensor. The range of interest and/or zoom level of the UEs 101 with respect to the overlapping region 737 can be utilized as parameters to determine a media compilation based on criteria associated with such a range and/or zoom level. For example, it may be advantageous, in certain circumstances, to get a more enlarged view of the focus region (e.g., during a concert) or a broader view of the focus region (e.g., during fireworks).

Each of the recording UEs 101 can then display rectangle-like window(s) on the viewfinder for making the user aware of the areas that are recorded by other users. This can enable cooperation in event recording. If the transmission of the information about the common covered areas does not happen in real time to the several users, this information can be used later by the server to determine what viewpoint(s) to use in a video summary or compilation.

FIG. 7C additionally points out another use of the range sensor. The range module 204 can be utilized to determine whether an object 751 is obstructing a view of a UE 101 a from a focus point 753. Because the range 755 of the first UE 101 from the focus of the UE 101 a is smaller than the distance to the focus point 753 (e.g., based on one or more other UEs 101 and/or ranges (e.g., range 757) associated with the other UEs 101), it can be determined that UEs 101 a and 101 b are associated with different scenes. In certain scenarios, based on one or more criteria, the obstructing object 751 can be included in the compilation and/or removed from the compilation. Such criteria can include a determination of whether the UE 101 a is even associated with the same event and/or if other UEs (not shown) are also focused towards the object 751. In certain scenarios, the event type may be utilized to determine the criteria. For example, in a concert with multiple focuses and/or stages, it may be more likely that the object 751 includes information that users may wish to include in a director's cut compilation.

Further, panning may be a focus of certain criteria. Panning operations can, in certain embodiments, be classified as intentional or non-intentional for being utilized for selection criteria to incorporate a segment associated with the panning in a compilation. This can be done by determining the frequency of one or more panning events, the speed of each panning operation, the actual orientation values (e.g., from which the direction of each panning can be deduced—clockwise or counterclockwise) of panning operations. For example, if the system 100 detects at a close range 755 a series of fast panning operations over a narrow angle, which happen with high frequency and alternately in opposite directions, then those panning events may be classified as non-intentional because most likely the operations are due to horizontal camera shaking In another example, if the user has not zoomed in and the scene being captured is not very close to the UE 101 (e.g., at a longer range 757), a panning operation over a small angle does not change the viewing angle of the scene greatly, thus it can be classified as non-intentional and then ignored during the media editing.

An intentional panning event detected on one of the UEs 101 can signify that a new view of the scene is available and therefore an automatic video editing process may include the video segment recorded by that UE 101 just after the panning event has completed. This may additionally be based on one or more criteria and/or whether or not one or more other users focus on the new focus point. Thus, the detected intentional panning events can be used as event points for switching camera views. Use of event points is further detailed in FIG. 8. Moreover, other classifications of panning events can be made and utilized for detecting event points and/or selection of media segments for inclusion in a media compilation.

Another classification of panning events is based on the speed of the panning operation by using the orientation values and the associated timestamps. In this manner, panning events can be classified into different categories according to different speeds (e.g. multiple speed categories). Furthermore, these speed categories can be associated to semantically meaningful classes. For example a panning operation that is slow and that covers a wide angle can be associated to the class “panoramic panning,” a rapid change in the viewing angle can be associated to the class “rapid change of the main focus,” or the like. The obtained classes can then be used by an automatic video editing algorithm for deciding what type (e.g., in terms of speed) of panning operation to include into the final director's cut, based on different policies (e.g. user preferences, criteria, rules, etc.).

The classification of intentional vs. non-intentional panning and the classification into semantically meaningful panning classes can be reinforced by exploiting the availability of multiple UEs 101 that are recording the same event, for example, by looking for a correlation of one or more characteristics of the panning operations made by different users. Regarding the intentional vs. non-intentional classification, if for many of the participating users the system detects a panning operation within a certain time interval (e.g., almost simultaneously), then it can mean that the panning operation made by these users are most likely intentional (e.g., a sub-event or change in focus to a different aspect of a performance). Regarding the classification into semantically meaningful panning classes, the availability of information about the frequency, speed, timing, and orientation values of the panning operations of multiple users can help to better understand what type of panning each user is doing from a semantic point of view. If only one user in a certain time interval is doing a slow and wide panning, then that user is most likely doing a panoramic panning Instead, if many of the users are doing a slow and wide panning operation within a similar time interval, then it could mean that the users are attempting to follow and capture something that is slowly moving.

Another classification of panning events is based on the orientation with respect to magnetic north of the image capture device of a UE 101 when panning has completed. According to this classification, panning events can be marked either as inside or outside the region of interest. The region of interest can be determined either according to end-user preferences or automatically by looking at the statistics in the orientations recorded by media items associated with the event. For example, if most of the users are recording for the most of the time towards orientations between −30 degrees and +30 degrees, then the region of interest is set to be within this range. An automatic video editing algorithm may then choose not to include video segments recorded by UEs 101 just after panning operations have ended outside the region of interest. Additionally or alternatively, if it is determined that the focus of users has changed to that new area, the video editing algorithm may include the content.

FIGS. 7D and 7E are diagrams of a UE 101 (e.g., a camera-enabled mobile device) that include one or more sensors for measuring tilt information (e.g., an angle or extent of tilt, speed of tilt, and the like). In one embodiment, tilt information refers to angular separation with respect to a horizontal plane. It is contemplated that the UE 101 may use any sensor capable to measuring tilt information such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetic compass. By way of example, FIG. 7D depicts a UE 101 that includes an accelerometer to detect orientation with respect to a horizontal plane (e.g., tilt information) of the UE 101 in an X-axis 761, a Y-axis 763, and a Z-axis 765. As shown in FIG. 7D, the UE 101 may also include additional sensors (e.g., a compass, or a gyroscope) for determining a tilt angle 767 when tilting the UE 101 in an upward direction and a tilt angle 769 when tilting the UE 101 in a downward direction.

More specifically, in one embodiment, triaxial accelerometers record acceleration across three mutually perpendicular axes (e.g., X-axis 761, Y-axis 763, and Z-axis 765). One important characteristic of these sensors is that when there is lack of other acceleration, they can sense static acceleration of 1 g (approximately 9.8 m/ŝ2) in the direction of the Earth's center of mass. In one embodiment, the system 100 exploits this fact in an algorithm that detects the duration and the speed of a camera tilt. For example, a camera tilt or movement typically involves marginal translational acceleration—especially if compared with the Earth's gravitational component of 1 g. Therefore, the algorithm uses a special interpretation of the accelerometer readings in order to detect the rotation of the camera. When the camera is performing a tilt, the gravitational component changes due to the tilting and is distributed between the X-axis 761 and the Z-axis 765. Based on these facts, the following algorithm computes the tilt duration and speed. It is assumed that the accelerometer data in each of the X-axis 761, Y-axis 763, and Z-axis 765 are sampled at regular time intervals with a rate of, for instance (but not limited to), 5 samples per second. In one embodiment, as a preprocessing step, the system 100 (e.g., the sensor module 107) applies a low-pass filtering of the accelerometer data in order to avoid noisy high-frequency components (as means of example, a passband 0-2 Hz can be used). Assuming marginal translational (non-static) acceleration, the system 100 determines the instantaneous angle (e.g., tilt angles 767 and 769) of tilt from the change of the gravitational component as:

Tilt_Angle[i]=arctan(Y[i]/Z[i]),

where Y[i] and Z[i] are the low-pass filtered accelerometer readings at time instants t[i] and t[i−1], respectively. To determine the speed of the tilt, the system 100 then applies a discrete derivative:

Tilt_Speed[i]=(Tilt_Angle[i]−Tilt_Angle[i−1])/(t[i]−t[i−1]),

Subsequently, we determine the presence of camera tilt by comparing the obtained tilt speed with a predefined threshold, TILT_THRESHOLD. That is,

Detected_Tilt[i]=1, if abs(Tilt_Speed[i])>TILT_THRESHOLD, 0, otherwise.

Subsequently, in order to avoid erroneous tilts with very short durations, the system 100 applies robust nonlinear filter such as a weighted median filter to Detected_Tilt; as means of example, a window of length equivalent to 2 seconds can be used (e.g., if the sampling rate is 20 sample/sec, then the window has 40 samples). The system 100 obtains the tilt durations as difference between the timestamps of edges in Detected_Tilt; that is, if Detected Tilt[i, . . . , j]=1 and Detected_Tilt[i−1]=0 and Detected_Tilt[j+1]=0, then the detected tilt duration is from t[i−1] until t[j]. The average tilt speed is MEAN(Tilt_Speed[i, . . . , j]) and the maximum tilt speed is MAX(Tilt_Speed[i, . . . , j]). A classification of the speed of the tilt is then performed based on the value of the average tilt speed. As means of example, the speed of tilt can be classified as fast, medium, and slow if speed falls within the values in certain predefined ranges (e.g., corresponding to each of the categories). Note that the presented algorithm can be applied either in real time (where only past samples are available) or as a post-processing step in offline mode or a combination of real-time and post-processing.

In another embodiment, a gyroscope is used to produce the Tilt_Speed array (instead of an accelerometer).

In another embodiment, in case when there is no tilt (e.g., Detected_Tilt[i]=0), we denote Tilt_Angle[i] as the steady-state camera tilt angle. That means that the camera is not performing tilt and the angle is not changing.

In another embodiment, simultaneous camera tilts (e.g., which follow a moving object of interest in the scene) performed by two or more UEs 101 are used to compute the ratio of the distances (to the scene) between any pair of these UEs 101. As shown in FIG. 7F, the following are denoted: angle A1 (770) and angle B1 (771) forming composite angle A1/B1 (772), angle A2 (773) and angle B2 (774) forming composite angle A2/B2 (775), distance D1 (776), and distance D2 (777). This figure also depicts two users operating respective UEs 101 a and 101 b, which are performing a tilt in order to follow the motion of the recorded object from position 778 to position 779. The angle pairs (A1, B1) and (B1, B2) are pairs of steady-state camera tilt angles before and after the tilting action has completed. After simple calculations, the ratio between the distances D1 and D2 can be computed as:

D1/D2=(tan(B2)−tan(A2))/(tan(B1)−tan(A1)).

In the same manner, the system 100 can compute the ratio of distances (to the scene) between each pair of UEs 101 and a map of such distances can be computed. To obtain all distances in absolute values (e.g. in meters), it is required to know the absolute value of only one of the distances (from a user to the moving object), e.g., the absolute distance of at least one UE 101 with regards to the commonly viewed scene.

In another embodiment of the invention, if the altitudes of two or more UEs (e.g., UEs 101 a and 101 b) are known to be the same or very similar and these UEs 101 are not performing a camera tilting action, then the ratio between the distances from each UE 101 to the scene 780 can be established from the steady-state camera tilt angles. As shown, FIG. 7G denotes angle A as 780 and angle B as 781, distance D1 as 782, distance D2 as 783, then a simple calculation follows:

D1/D2=tan(B)/tan(A).

This ratio can be computed for any pair of UEs 101 that are known to conform to the set conditions.

In another embodiment of the invention, if the physical locations of two or more UEs 101 are known (e.g., provided by GPS or by any other means) and these UEs 101 are not performing tilting action (e.g., tilting with zero speed), then from their steady-state camera tilt angles, it can be computed whether the UEs 101 are pointing to the same scene of common interest. The scene of common interest is the scene to which most of cameras are pointing to. It can be found as the cube (of small, fixed size) in which most of the projections along the Z axis of each camera are crossing. Cameras whose Z-axis projections are significantly far (defined with a threshold) from this cube can be considered as pointing away from the common scene of interest.

In another embodiment of the invention, a group of UEs 101 are known to be recording at the same event (e.g., a concert) using a suitable method. This suitable method could be implemented using but not limited to a combination or individually the location information of the UEs 101 and/or common audio scene among the group of UEs 101. Among this group of UEs 101, by detecting simultaneous tilting action by more than one UE 101 within a defined time interval threshold can be used as an indicator that the UEs 101 performing the simultaneous tilt are following a common object of interest. This information can then be suitably used by any application or service depending on its specific needs (e.g., to identify recorded scenes for compilation).

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the steady stage tilt angle of all or substantially all the UEs 101 within a temporal window is calculated and noted. The pre-dominant steady stage tilt angle within the temporal window is considered as the common steady state angle at the event during that temporal window. The UEs 101 with their instantaneous tilt angle that exceeds the common steady stage angle by more than a defined threshold are considered to be recording the event/scene with an unacceptable level of tilt. The corresponding video segments from these UEs 101 during the time interval are avoided to be included in the video summary from the multiple users' source videos.

As previously discussed, in one embodiment, the media platform 103 can use the collected sensor information to achieve higher levels of semantics in detecting descriptive concepts associated with recorded scenes (e.g., media items). More specifically, various embodiments of the video synthesis approach described herein can exploit multimodal data captured by a multitude of recording devices (e.g., UEs 101) at the same time window (or within a defined time threshold) and at the same place (or within a defined area around the place), where the recorded multimedia content represents a common scene or event (e.g., a music concert or theater act).

By way of example, a recording device (e.g., a UE 101) operating within the system 100 can capture at least two types of data: multimedia data (videos, audio) by using the embedded camera and microphone, and other context data (from other sensors, like an electronic compass or magnetometer, accelerometer, GPS, gyroscope, altimeter, etc.) for the contextualization and description of the multimedia data. In one embodiment, both types of data are either stored into the recording device or sent in real-time to a server. If the data is stored locally at the UE 101 (e.g., recording device) side, it can be uploaded to the media platform 103 in a second phase (offline upload). The context data recorded by the sensors can be stored or transmitted by using any suitable storage format (e.g., text file, XML file, RDF/XML file) or transmission protocol (http, etc.).

After the UEs 101 participating at the same event (e.g., a music concert or any other type of such shows) have uploaded both multimedia content data and context data to the remote server (e.g., the multimedia platform 103), the multimedia platform 103 providing the automatic video editing service can combine the received data from all the users for making an inference about possible descriptive concepts that might be present in the recorded scenes.

In one embodiment, the inference process is based on exploiting potential correlation or co-occurrence of particular events among different data source types of the same user (e.g., compass and audio content data) and among the same data source type captured by different users (e.g., compass data from different users).

In this way, it is possible to understand if something interesting for the users has happened during the event and they have acted in a similar way, for example by deciding to record that interesting occurrence. For example, one descriptive concept that is possible to infer by exploiting the multimodal data from multiple users, in the case of a live music performance, is the “recording of the audience by some recording users, when a song ends and the audience is clapping”. This semantic or descriptive concept is detected by exploiting the correlation of the camera panning movement performed by a statistically significant number of recorded users within approximately the same temporal window, combined with a sudden change in the type of audio recorded by any of these users (e.g., it is very likely that all of these UEs 101 record very similar audio), for example from “music” to “noise” or to “clapping hands”, and combined also with a sudden change in the video content type for example in terms of lighting (brightness), color features (like color layout, color histogram, dominant color, etc.), motion features, and other features that is possible to extract from video content. Also a sub-set of all the above data source types may be exploited for detecting this descriptive concept, e.g., only correlation of camera panning movement performed by a statistically significant number of recorded users within approximately the same temporal window, combined with a sudden change in the type of audio class (ex. from “music” to “clapping hands”) detected in the content recorded by any of these users.

The multimedia platform 103 can the use any number of techniques to detect the descriptive concepts as follows:

-   -   A sensor data (primitive) concept extraction, like panning         detection from compass data of each user.     -   A correlation analysis of the multimedia content or of the         sensor data among the different recording users. By way of         example, high correlation of the panning operations and other         camera movements performed by a statistically relevant number of         users within the same temporal window could be detected for         inferring that something of interest to several recording users         (thus of more general interest than what would be something of         interest to only one of few users) has happened during the show         time (see FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4). One possible way of calculating the         correlation between two signals f and g is the         cross-correlation, that is defined as a function of a time-lag         applied to one of the signals (f* denotes the complex conjugate         of f) as shown in equation 1a:

(f*g)(t)=∫⁻⁼ ^(∞) f*(τ)g(t+τ)dτ  1a

(f*g)[n]=Σ _(−n) ^(+n) f[n]g[n]  1b

The cross-correlation between two users' compass orientation values can be calculated as shown in equation 1b, where f[n] and g[n] represent the vector of orientation values of the users within the considered temporal window.

-   -   An audio content analysis system that would detect semantic         (primitive) concepts from the audio content. One possible audio         content analysis would be an audio content classifier that         outputs the different audio classes. Regarding the previously         described concept, audio classes such as “music”,         “noise/clapping hands” could be used, so that when a sudden         change in the audio class from music to noise/clapping hands         happens, then we can infer that the song has ended and the         audience is clapping hands. Other audio classes could also be         used for detecting any type of concept.     -   A video content analysis system that would detect semantic         visual (primitive) concepts by analyzing the video content data.         An example is a boundary scene detection algorithm that would         detect a sudden change in the recorded visual data, by         exploiting any suitable visual feature like color features,         object motion features, texture features, etc. Regarding the         described composite concept, a sudden change in illumination         conditions, or in objects motion, could mean that when something         happens (like the end of a song), the illumination conditions of         the place suddenly change, or the objects that are being         recorded have a very different type of motion with respect to         the previously recorded objects, thus either they are different         objects or something has happened so that the same objects have         suddenly changed their type of motion.     -   A system able to detect the co-occurrence of different primitive         (or even composite) descriptive concepts within a single user         and within different users, e.g., co-occurrence of panning         correlation (among different users) and change in the audio         class (in any of the users or in a statistically significant         number of users).

In one embodiment, the primitive concepts provided by the techniques described above represent building blocks for constructing composite concepts with higher level semantics and with higher robustness attributable to the multimodality and the availability of multiple data sources. Therefore, a specific composite concept could be detected by using one, few or all of the detectable primitive concepts. For example, FIG. 7H is a diagram illustrating construction of composite concepts from multiple data sources, according to one embodiment. As shown, multimodal data sources 791 a-791 n collected by respective recording devices 101 a-101 n can be combined in various permutations to determine primitive concepts 793 a-793 m. As previously discussed, the multimodal data may include video recordings, audio recordings, sensor data, context data, etc. that depict a common or substantially common event. The primitive concepts 793 a-793 n are then used in various combinations to construct the composite concepts 795 a-795 k that can represent higher level semantics. In one embodiment, the multimedia platform 103 can use the higher level semantics of the composite concepts 795 a-795 k to automate editing of recorded media.

By way of example, by summarizing the detection of the composite concept “End of a song and recording of the audience people while they are clapping their hands”, the multimedia platform 103 would operate by exploiting the techniques described above. More specifically, high correlation in the camera movement among a statistically significant number of UEs 101 within a limited temporal window is detected by means of correlation analysis of sensor data. For example, highly correlated camera panning operations can be detected by analyzing electronic compass data. Within the same temporal window, a sudden change in the audio class from “music” to “noise”/“clapping hands” is detected by the audio content classifier. Within the same temporal window, a sudden change in visual features like illumination conditions, colors and/or object motion patterns is detected by means of video content analysis. Therefore the multimedia platform 103 can infer that during the considered temporal window the song has ended and the audience has started clapping (this primitive concept is made more robust by the visual analysis, as also illumination conditions, colors and/or content motion patterns have suddenly changed), and several recording users have turned their camera towards the audience.

Such a composite concept (e.g., obtained by combining several primitive concepts) represents then the indexing of the recorded multimedia data within the considered temporal window. Retrieval of this indexed data is then possible to be performed; as timestamps of start and end of the temporal window are available (they need to be stored in any suitable and convenient format).

The most common case for which it is needed to detect semantic or descriptive concepts from videos recorded at the same place and same time by several UEs 101 is an automatic video editing system as described below with respect to FIG. 8. Such a system generally needs to know when interesting concepts happen during the recorded show and which users have recorded these concepts. In this way, the system can decide to use the videos recorded by those users who have captured the interesting occurrence within the considered temporal window. It is contemplated that any other use of the determined descriptive concepts is also possible.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram utilized in generating a compilation of media items, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, control logic of the media platform 103 performs the process 800 and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown in FIG. 11. Additionally or alternatively, one or more portions of the process 300 can be implemented via another device (e.g., the UE 101 or an external server). As such, control logic of the media platform 103 and/or other devices can be utilized as means for implementing one or more steps of the process 800.

At step 801, the media platform 103 receives context vectors and media data. This information can be stored in the media data database 115 and/or context data database 113. The media platform 103 then performs an analysis (step 803) of the data. For each of the media items associated with the media data database 115 and/or context data database 113, the media platform 103 can detect event points by analyzing context vectors (step 805).

In certain embodiments, event points are sensor values of interest. These event points can occur when sensor values associated with context vector parameters meet certain criteria (steps 807). For example, when it is detected that more than one media item is focused on a certain area for certain duration of time, panning of multiple users changes to focus on a different point during the event, it is detected that a change in focus has occurred, etc. As such, event points can be detected by analyzing context vectors (step 809). During analysis, the captured context vectors corresponding to the individual media items for an event can be analyzed to generate the key event points along the duration of the content. An event point, in certain embodiments, is any change in recorded context vectors that corresponds to a noticeable change in the recorded content. This change could be related to the viewing angle of the content, stability of the camera when recording the content, a change in the viewing along to coincide with the change in position of the object, a region of interest that is being recorded (e.g., the performer on the stage in a concert), or the like. In one embodiment, the detection of event points is facilitated by the determination of descriptive concepts from the recorded media items as described above. In addition or alternatively, the detection of event points can be based, at least in part, on the tilt information provided by the recording devices. For example, simultaneous or nearly simultaneous tilting by a predetermined number recording devices may indicate that the recording devices have shifted to capture a different or new event point.

Some “event points” are selected from a set of detected event points based on criteria used for generating a compilation. For example, the criterion can include that the compilation would include content only in a particular region (e.g., a region of +30 and −30 degrees with respect to Magnetic North). Panning actions can be first noted as event points for the particular content recording. In the another step, the event points that result in taking the orientation of the recording UE 101 out of the specified region are dropped or filtered out of being options for including in the compilation.

The event points can then be utilized to select corresponding segments during an editing process (step 811). During this process, segments between event points can be created for one or more media items (step 813). Then, segments can be selected for inclusion in a director's cut output compilation based on criteria.

The criteria can include one or more pre-determined profiles. For example, a profile can exist for maximizing the field of view (e.g., attempting to acquire 360 degree coverage during the compilation), for maximizing a focus view (e.g., a stage of a concert), etc. The focus view and/or field of view can be based on one or more context vectors (e.g., the focus can be determined based on a range of view of the body of information available.

Thus, if the criteria include a maximization of the field of view, preference is given towards including in the compilation segments that together provide a wide prospective. Additionally or alternatively, if the criteria include a specific orientation of interest, the segments can be selected based on a preference of view towards that orientation or focus. As previously mentioned, the criteria may additionally be based, at least in part, on the elevation or tilt of a UE 101. For example, vantage point for a concert may be important and a better view may be associated with a higher altitude.

Then, at step 815, the selected segments are spliced together. As such, the segments can be merged according to criteria (step 817). The merging can include one or more views of media items per frame or a single view per frame.

FIGS. 9A-9E are diagrams of user interfaces utilized in the processes of FIGS. 4 and 8, according to various embodiments. FIG. 9A shows a user interface 900 of a user that can be utilizing a service of the media platform 103 for indicating collaborative event media generation. Angles of the event that other users are covering can be shown to the user. As such, a rectangle 901 can be displayed indicating the area of the event covered by other users. Further, the arrow 903 can indicate a pointing direction that can be utilized to capture a more useful perspective.

FIG. 9B and 9C show options on a user interface 910, 920 for presenting a focus of a captured media object on a viewfinder. These interface options can be presented while capturing media items. The focus 911 can be originally set based on a central position of the UE 101 and/or a range sensor 204 for determining a focus range. Then, the user can select a new focus 921. This can be accomplished on a touch-enabled device by, for example, touching the new focus area 921. As such, context vectors can indicate the focus area 921 being that particular location instead of the previous focus 923.

FIGS. 9D and 9E display user interfaces 930, 940 of presentations of a media item compilation. On a touch enabled device, the user can be afforded an opportunity to add criteria to the compilation based on selection. As such, the user can select an area of interest 931. When the area of interest 931 is selected, the media compilation can be dynamically adjusted to include media items based on the selection. User interface 940 can be presented with a focus on that selected section 941. In certain embodiments, the selection can be used as an additional parameter to the criteria. As such, one or more media items associated with the selection can be caused to be presented to the user.

With the above approaches, a compilation of media items can be presented to users based on context vectors. Use of context vectors allows for efficient resource use because an analysis on the actual content need not be utilized to generate the compilation. As such, detection of event points can be done with a higher confidence. Moreover, users can be notified at the time of media creation of advantageous capturing perspectives to increase usability of the media items.

The processes described herein for generating a compilation of media items may be advantageously implemented via software, hardware, firmware or a combination of software and/or firmware and/or hardware. For example, the processes described herein, may be advantageously implemented via processor(s), Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc. Such exemplary hardware for performing the described functions is detailed below.

FIG. 10 illustrates a computer system 1000 upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Although computer system 1000 is depicted with respect to a particular device or equipment, it is contemplated that other devices or equipment (e.g., network elements, servers, etc.) within FIG. 10 can deploy the illustrated hardware and components of system 1000. Computer system 1000 is programmed (e.g., via computer program code or instructions) to generate a compilation of media items as described herein and includes a communication mechanism such as a bus 1010 for passing information between other internal and external components of the computer system 1000. Information (also called data) is represented as a physical expression of a measurable phenomenon, typically electric voltages, but including, in other embodiments, such phenomena as magnetic, electromagnetic, pressure, chemical, biological, molecular, atomic, sub-atomic and quantum interactions. For example, north and south magnetic fields, or a zero and non-zero electric voltage, represent two states (0, 1) of a binary digit (bit). Other phenomena can represent digits of a higher base. A superposition of multiple simultaneous quantum states before measurement represents a quantum bit (qubit). A sequence of one or more digits constitutes digital data that is used to represent a number or code for a character. In some embodiments, information called analog data is represented by a near continuum of measurable values within a particular range. Computer system 1000, or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps of generating a compilation of media items.

A bus 1010 includes one or more parallel conductors of information so that information is transferred quickly among devices coupled to the bus 1010. One or more processors 1002 for processing information are coupled with the bus 1010.

A processor (or multiple processors) 1002 performs a set of operations on information as specified by computer program code related to generate a compilation of media items. The computer program code is a set of instructions or statements providing instructions for the operation of the processor and/or the computer system to perform specified functions. The code, for example, may be written in a computer programming language that is compiled into a native instruction set of the processor. The code may also be written directly using the native instruction set (e.g., machine language). The set of operations include bringing information in from the bus 1010 and placing information on the bus 1010. The set of operations also typically include comparing two or more units of information, shifting positions of units of information, and combining two or more units of information, such as by addition or multiplication or logical operations like OR, exclusive OR (XOR), and AND. Each operation of the set of operations that can be performed by the processor is represented to the processor by information called instructions, such as an operation code of one or more digits. A sequence of operations to be executed by the processor 1002, such as a sequence of operation codes, constitute processor instructions, also called computer system instructions or, simply, computer instructions. Processors may be implemented as mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, chemical or quantum components, among others, alone or in combination.

Computer system 1000 also includes a memory 1004 coupled to bus 1010. The memory 1004, such as a random access memory (RAM) or any other dynamic storage device, stores information including processor instructions for generating a compilation of media items. Dynamic memory allows information stored therein to be changed by the computer system 1000. RAM allows a unit of information stored at a location called a memory address to be stored and retrieved independently of information at neighboring addresses. The memory 1004 is also used by the processor 1002 to store temporary values during execution of processor instructions. The computer system 1000 also includes a read only memory (ROM) 1006 or any other static storage device coupled to the bus 1010 for storing static information, including instructions, that is not changed by the computer system 1000. Some memory is composed of volatile storage that loses the information stored thereon when power is lost. Also coupled to bus 1010 is a non-volatile (persistent) storage device 1008, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk or flash card, for storing information, including instructions, that persists even when the computer system 1000 is turned off or otherwise loses power.

Information, including instructions for generating a compilation of media items, is provided to the bus 1010 for use by the processor from an external input device 1012, such as a keyboard containing alphanumeric keys operated by a human user, or a sensor. A sensor detects conditions in its vicinity and transforms those detections into physical expression compatible with the measurable phenomenon used to represent information in computer system 1000. Other external devices coupled to bus 1010, used primarily for interacting with humans, include a display device 1014, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED) display, a plasma screen, or a printer for presenting text or images, and a pointing device 1016, such as a mouse, a trackball, cursor direction keys, or a motion sensor, for controlling a position of a small cursor image presented on the display 1014 and issuing commands associated with graphical elements presented on the display 1014. In some embodiments, for example, in embodiments in which the computer system 1000 performs all functions automatically without human input, one or more of external input device 1012, display device 1014 and pointing device 1016 is omitted.

In the illustrated embodiment, special purpose hardware, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 1020, is coupled to bus 1010. The special purpose hardware is configured to perform operations not performed by processor 1002 quickly enough for special purposes. Examples of ASICs include graphics accelerator cards for generating images for display 1014, cryptographic boards for encrypting and decrypting messages sent over a network, speech recognition, and interfaces to special external devices, such as robotic arms and medical scanning equipment that repeatedly perform some complex sequence of operations that are more efficiently implemented in hardware.

Computer system 1000 also includes one or more instances of a communications interface 1070 coupled to bus 1010. Communication interface 1070 provides a one-way or two-way communication coupling to a variety of external devices that operate with their own processors, such as printers, scanners and external disks. In general the coupling is with a network link 1078 that is connected to a local network 1080 to which a variety of external devices with their own processors are connected. For example, communication interface 1070 may be a parallel port or a serial port or a universal serial bus (USB) port on a personal computer. In some embodiments, communications interface 1070 is an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a digital subscriber line (DSL) card or a telephone modem that provides an information communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. In some embodiments, a communication interface 1070 is a cable modem that converts signals on bus 1010 into signals for a communication connection over a coaxial cable or into optical signals for a communication connection over a fiber optic cable. As another example, communications interface 1070 may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN, such as Ethernet. Wireless links may also be implemented. For wireless links, the communications interface 1070 sends or receives or both sends and receives electrical, acoustic or electromagnetic signals, including infrared and optical signals, that carry information streams, such as digital data. For example, in wireless handheld devices, such as mobile telephones like cell phones, the communications interface 1070 includes a radio band electromagnetic transmitter and receiver called a radio transceiver. In certain embodiments, the communications interface 1070 enables connection to the communication network 105 for the UE 101.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing information to processor 1002, including instructions for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to computer-readable storage medium (e.g., non-volatile media, volatile media), and transmission media. Non-transitory media, such as non-volatile media, include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 1008. Volatile media include, for example, dynamic memory 1004. Transmission media include, for example, twisted pair cables, coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optic cables, and carrier waves that travel through space without wires or cables, such as acoustic waves and electromagnetic waves, including radio, optical and infrared waves. Signals include man-made transient variations in amplitude, frequency, phase, polarization or other physical properties transmitted through the transmission media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, CDRW, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, optical mark sheets, any other physical medium with patterns of holes or other optically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, an EEPROM, a flash memory, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read. The term computer-readable storage medium is used herein to refer to any computer-readable medium except transmission media.

Logic encoded in one or more tangible media includes one or both of processor instructions on a computer-readable storage media and special purpose hardware, such as ASIC 1020.

Network link 1078 typically provides information communication using transmission media through one or more networks to other devices that use or process the information. For example, network link 1078 may provide a connection through local network 1080 to a host computer 1082 or to equipment 1084 operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISP equipment 1084 in turn provides data communication services through the public, world-wide packet-switching communication network of networks now commonly referred to as the Internet 1090.

A computer called a server host 1092 connected to the Internet hosts a process that provides a service in response to information received over the Internet. For example, server host 1092 hosts a process that provides information representing video data for presentation at display 1014. It is contemplated that the components of system 1000 can be deployed in various configurations within other computer systems, e.g., host 1082 and server 1092.

At least some embodiments of the invention are related to the use of computer system 1000 for implementing some or all of the techniques described herein. According to one embodiment of the invention, those techniques are performed by computer system 1000 in response to processor 1002 executing one or more sequences of one or more processor instructions contained in memory 1004. Such instructions, also called computer instructions, software and program code, may be read into memory 1004 from another computer-readable medium such as storage device 1008 or network link 1078. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in memory 1004 causes processor 1002 to perform one or more of the method steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hardware, such as ASIC 1020, may be used in place of or in combination with software to implement the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software, unless otherwise explicitly stated herein.

The signals transmitted over network link 1078 and other networks through communications interface 1070, carry information to and from computer system 1000. Computer system 1000 can send and receive information, including program code, through the networks 1080, 1090 among others, through network link 1078 and communications interface 1070. In an example using the Internet 1090, a server host 1092 transmits program code for a particular application, requested by a message sent from computer 1000, through Internet 1090, ISP equipment 1084, local network 1080 and communications interface 1070. The received code may be executed by processor 1002 as it is received, or may be stored in memory 1004 or in storage device 1008 or any other non-volatile storage for later execution, or both. In this manner, computer system 1000 may obtain application program code in the form of signals on a carrier wave.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequence of instructions or data or both to processor 1002 for execution. For example, instructions and data may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer such as host 1082. The remote computer loads the instructions and data into its dynamic memory and sends the instructions and data over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to the computer system 1000 receives the instructions and data on a telephone line and uses an infra-red transmitter to convert the instructions and data to a signal on an infra-red carrier wave serving as the network link 1078. An infrared detector serving as communications interface 1070 receives the instructions and data carried in the infrared signal and places information representing the instructions and data onto bus 1010. Bus 1010 carries the information to memory 1004 from which processor 1002 retrieves and executes the instructions using some of the data sent with the instructions. The instructions and data received in memory 1004 may optionally be stored on storage device 1008, either before or after execution by the processor 1002.

FIG. 11 illustrates a chip set or chip 1100 upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Chip set 1100 is programmed to generate a compilation of media items as described herein and includes, for instance, the processor and memory components described with respect to FIG. 10 incorporated in one or more physical packages (e.g., chips). By way of example, a physical package includes an arrangement of one or more materials, components, and/or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard) to provide one or more characteristics such as physical strength, conservation of size, and/or limitation of electrical interaction. It is contemplated that in certain embodiments the chip set 1100 can be implemented in a single chip. It is further contemplated that in certain embodiments the chip set or chip 1100 can be implemented as a single “system on a chip.” It is further contemplated that in certain embodiments a separate ASIC would not be used, for example, and that all relevant functions as disclosed herein would be performed by a processor or processors. Chip set or chip 1100, or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps of providing user interface navigation information associated with the availability of functions. Chip set or chip 1100, or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps of generating a compilation of media items.

In one embodiment, the chip set or chip 1100 includes a communication mechanism such as a bus 1101 for passing information among the components of the chip set 1100. A processor 1103 has connectivity to the bus 1101 to execute instructions and process information stored in, for example, a memory 1105. The processor 1103 may include one or more processing cores with each core configured to perform independently. A multi-core processor enables multiprocessing within a single physical package. Examples of a multi-core processor include two, four, eight, or greater numbers of processing cores. Alternatively or in addition, the processor 1103 may include one or more microprocessors configured in tandem via the bus 1101 to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and multithreading. The processor 1103 may also be accompanied with one or more specialized components to perform certain processing functions and tasks such as one or more digital signal processors (DSP) 1107, or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) 1109. A DSP 1107 typically is configured to process real-world signals (e.g., sound) in real time independently of the processor 1103. Similarly, an ASIC 1109 can be configured to performed specialized functions not easily performed by a more general purpose processor. Other specialized components to aid in performing the inventive functions described herein may include one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) (not shown), one or more controllers (not shown), or one or more other special-purpose computer chips.

In one embodiment, the chip set or chip 1100 includes merely one or more processors and some software and/or firmware supporting and/or relating to and/or for the one or more processors.

The processor 1103 and accompanying components have connectivity to the memory 1105 via the bus 1101. The memory 1105 includes both dynamic memory (e.g., RAM, magnetic disk, writable optical disk, etc.) and static memory (e.g., ROM, CD-ROM, etc.) for storing executable instructions that when executed perform the inventive steps described herein to generate a compilation of media items. The memory 1105 also stores the data associated with or generated by the execution of the inventive steps.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of exemplary components of a mobile terminal (e.g., handset) for communications, which is capable of operating in the system of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, mobile terminal 1201, or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps of generating a compilation of media items. Generally, a radio receiver is often defined in terms of front-end and back-end characteristics. The front-end of the receiver encompasses all of the Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry whereas the back-end encompasses all of the base-band processing circuitry. As used in this application, the term “circuitry” refers to both: (1) hardware-only implementations (such as implementations in only analog and/or digital circuitry), and (2) to combinations of circuitry and software (and/or firmware) (such as, if applicable to the particular context, to a combination of processor(s), including digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions). This definition of “circuitry” applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application and if applicable to the particular context, the term “circuitry” would also cover an implementation of merely a processor (or multiple processors) and its (or their) accompanying software/or firmware. The term “circuitry” would also cover if applicable to the particular context, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or applications processor integrated circuit in a mobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a cellular network device or other network devices.

Pertinent internal components of the telephone include a Main Control Unit (MCU) 1203, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 1205, and a receiver/transmitter unit including a microphone gain control unit and a speaker gain control unit. A main display unit 1207 provides a display to the user in support of various applications and mobile terminal functions that perform or support the steps of generating a compilation of media items. The display 1207 includes display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile terminal (e.g., mobile telephone). Additionally, the display 1207 and display circuitry are configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile terminal. An audio function circuitry 1209 includes a microphone 1211 and microphone amplifier that amplifies the speech signal output from the microphone 1211. The amplified speech signal output from the microphone 1211 is fed to a coder/decoder (CODEC) 1213.

A radio section 1215 amplifies power and converts frequency in order to communicate with a base station, which is included in a mobile communication system, via antenna 1217. The power amplifier (PA) 1219 and the transmitter/modulation circuitry are operationally responsive to the MCU 1203, with an output from the PA 1219 coupled to the duplexer 1221 or circulator or antenna switch, as known in the art. The PA 1219 also couples to a battery interface and power control unit 1220.

In use, a user of mobile terminal 1201 speaks into the microphone 1211 and his or her voice along with any detected background noise is converted into an analog voltage. The analog voltage is then converted into a digital signal through the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) 1223. The control unit 1203 routes the digital signal into the DSP 1205 for processing therein, such as speech encoding, channel encoding, encrypting, and interleaving. In one embodiment, the processed voice signals are encoded, by units not separately shown, using a cellular transmission protocol such as enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite, and the like, or any combination thereof.

The encoded signals are then routed to an equalizer 1225 for compensation of any frequency-dependent impairments that occur during transmission though the air such as phase and amplitude distortion. After equalizing the bit stream, the modulator 1227 combines the signal with a RF signal generated in the RF interface 1229. The modulator 1227 generates a sine wave by way of frequency or phase modulation. In order to prepare the signal for transmission, an up-converter 1231 combines the sine wave output from the modulator 1227 with another sine wave generated by a synthesizer 1233 to achieve the desired frequency of transmission. The signal is then sent through a PA 1219 to increase the signal to an appropriate power level. In practical systems, the PA 1219 acts as a variable gain amplifier whose gain is controlled by the DSP 1205 from information received from a network base station. The signal is then filtered within the duplexer 1221 and optionally sent to an antenna coupler 1235 to match impedances to provide maximum power transfer. Finally, the signal is transmitted via antenna 1217 to a local base station. An automatic gain control (AGC) can be supplied to control the gain of the final stages of the receiver. The signals may be forwarded from there to a remote telephone which may be another cellular telephone, any other mobile phone or a land-line connected to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or other telephony networks.

Voice signals transmitted to the mobile terminal 1201 are received via antenna 1217 and immediately amplified by a low noise amplifier (LNA) 1237. A down-converter 1239 lowers the carrier frequency while the demodulator 1241 strips away the RF leaving only a digital bit stream. The signal then goes through the equalizer 1225 and is processed by the DSP 1205. A Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) 1243 converts the signal and the resulting output is transmitted to the user through the speaker 1245, all under control of a Main Control Unit (MCU) 1203 which can be implemented as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) (not shown).

The MCU 1203 receives various signals including input signals from the keyboard 1247. The keyboard 1247 and/or the MCU 1203 in combination with other user input components (e.g., the microphone 1211) comprise a user interface circuitry for managing user input. The MCU 1203 runs a user interface software to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile terminal 1201 to generate a compilation of media items. The MCU 1203 also delivers a display command and a switch command to the display 1207 and to the speech output switching controller, respectively. Further, the MCU 1203 exchanges information with the DSP 1205 and can access an optionally incorporated SIM card 1249 and a memory 1251. In addition, the MCU 1203 executes various control functions required of the terminal. The DSP 1205 may, depending upon the implementation, perform any of a variety of conventional digital processing functions on the voice signals. Additionally, DSP 1205 determines the background noise level of the local environment from the signals detected by microphone 1211 and sets the gain of microphone 1211 to a level selected to compensate for the natural tendency of the user of the mobile terminal 1201.

The CODEC 1213 includes the ADC 1223 and DAC 1243. The memory 1251 stores various data including call incoming tone data and is capable of storing other data including music data received via, e.g., the global Internet. The software module could reside in RAM memory, flash memory, registers, or any other form of writable storage medium known in the art. The memory device 1251 may be, but not limited to, a single memory, CD, DVD, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, optical storage, magnetic disk storage, flash memory storage, or any other non-volatile storage medium capable of storing digital data.

An optionally incorporated SIM card 1249 carries, for instance, important information, such as the cellular phone number, the carrier supplying service, subscription details, and security information. The SIM card 1249 serves primarily to identify the mobile terminal 1201 on a radio network. The card 1249 also contains a memory for storing a personal telephone number registry, text messages, and user specific mobile terminal settings.

While the invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments and implementations, the invention is not so limited but covers various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements, which fall within the purview of the appended claims. Although features of the invention are expressed in certain combinations among the claims, it is contemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination and order. 

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following: a plurality of media items; respective context vectors for the media items, wherein the context vectors includes, at least in part, orientation information, tilt information, altitude information, geo-location information, timing information, or a combination thereof associated with creation of the media items; and at least one compilation of at least a portion of the media items based, at least in part, on the context vectors.
 2. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: at least one determination of one or more regions of interest of the media items based, at least in part, on the context vectors, wherein the compilation is further based, at least in part, on the one or more regions of interest.
 3. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: one or more criteria, one or more user preferences, or a combination thereof for selecting from among the media items, wherein the compilation is further based, at least in part, on the selection.
 4. A method of claim 3, wherein the one or more criteria relate to a classification of one or more panning events, associated with the media items, detected based, at least in part, on the context vectors.
 5. A method of claim 1, wherein the media items are captured live, and wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: reception of the context vectors and media items from a plurality of mobile devices; one or more characteristics of already captured media items; and at least one determination to direct capturing of subsequent media items based, at least in part, on the one or more characteristics.
 6. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: at least one determination of one or more events based, at least in part, on the context vectors, wherein the compilation is further based, at least in part, on the one or more events.
 7. A method of claim 1, wherein the context vectors further comprise orientation data including accelerometer data, magnetometer data, altimeter data, gyroscope data, zoom level data, focal length data, field of view data, range sensor data, or a combination thereof.
 8. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: a processing of the tilt information to identify one or more objects, spatial characteristics of the one or more objects, or a combination thereof.
 9. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: a processing of the context vectors, the media items, or a combination thereof to determine one or more descriptive concepts associated with the media items, wherein the compilation is further based, at least in part, on the one or more descriptive concepts.
 10. A method of claim 9, wherein the one or more descriptive concepts include, at least in part, one or more primitive concepts, one or more composite concepts, or a combination thereof, and wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: a processing of the context vectors, the media items, or a combination thereof to determine the one or more primitive concepts; and a processing of the one or more primitive concepts to determine the one or more composite concepts, wherein the compilation is further based, at least in part, on the one or more primitive concepts, the one or more composite concepts, or a combination thereof.
 11. A method of claim 9, wherein the context vectors, the media items, or a combination thereof include, at least in part, multimodal data recorded by one or more devices.
 12. A method of claim 9, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following: a processing of the one or more descriptive concepts to determine an intra-device correlation of the one or more descriptive concepts, an inter-device correlation of the one or more descriptive concepts, or a combination thereof for one or more devices associated with the creation of the media items, wherein the compilation is further based, at least in part, on the intra-device correlation, the inter-device correlation, or a combination thereof.
 13. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following, receive a plurality of media items; determine respective context vectors for the media items, wherein the context vectors includes, at least in part, orientation information, tilt information, altitude information, geo-location information, timing information, or a combination thereof associated with creation of the media items; and determine to generate a compilation of at least a portion of the media items based, at least in part, on the context vectors.
 14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: determine one or more regions of interest of the media items based, at least in part, on the context vectors, wherein the compilation is further based, at least in part, on the one or more regions of interest.
 15. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: determine one or more criteria, one or more user preferences, or a combination thereof for selecting from among the media items, wherein the compilation is further based, at least in part, on the selection.
 16. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the media items are captured live, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to: receive the context vectors and media items from a plurality of mobile devices; determine one or more characteristics of already captured media items; and determine to direct capturing of subsequent media items based, at least in part, on the one or more characteristics.
 17. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: process and/or facilitate a processing of the tilt information to identify one or more objects, spatial characteristics of the one or more objects, or a combination thereof
 18. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: process and/or facilitate a processing of the context vectors, the media items, or a combination thereof to determine one or more descriptive concepts associated with the media items, wherein the one or more descriptive concepts include, at least in part, one or more primitive concepts, one or more composite concepts, or a combination thereof , and wherein the compilation is further based, at least in part, on the one or more descriptive concepts, the one or more primitive concepts, the one or more composite concepts, or a combination thereof.
 19. A method of claim 13, wherein the context vectors, the media items, or a combination thereof include, at least in part, multimodal data recorded by one or more devices.
 20. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: process and/or facilitate a processing of the one or more descriptive concepts to determine an intra-device correlation of the one or more descriptive concepts, an inter-device correlation of the one or more descriptive concepts, or a combination thereof for one or more devices associated with the creation of the media items, wherein the compilation is further based, at least in part, on the intra-device correlation, the inter-device correlation, or a combination thereof. 21.-60. (canceled) 